Chords 15

A chord is at least two notes played at the same time.

Triads are a particular type of chord made up of three notes. We are going to look at major triads and minor
triads.

Each triad has a root note third and a .

The root note is the note on which the chord is built. It is the same as the name of the chord – in a C major
chord the root note is C. If you have black notes in a chord they will
both

In a major triad third is four semitones above the root. The .

This is the triad of C major.

There are three notes in the chord: C E and G
C is the root
E is the third. E is four semitones above C.
G is the . G is three semitones above E.

D major Eb major

Root: Root:
Third: Third:
Fifth: Fifth:

Ab major F major

Root: Root:
Third: Third:
Fifth: Fifth:
In a minor triad third is three semitones above the root. The 16
third. This is the reverse of a major triad.

This is the triad of C minor.

There are three notes in the chord: C Eb and G
C is the root
Eb is the third. Eb is three semitones above C.
G is the . G is four semitones above Eb.

C# minor D minor

Root: Root:
Third: Third:
Fifth: Fifth:

G minor A minor

Root: Root:
Third: Third:
Fifth: Fifth:

Now, notate the following chords as semibreves.

Remember that you stack the notes on top of each other in a chord.

F major D minor Eb major G major C minor F# major

The Blues 17

The blues is a genre with its roots in the music of black African slaves in the American South in the 19th
century. It developed out of traditional African music – including strong rhythmic drive
by the strong Christian tradition that developed among the slaves.

Early types of slave music included work songs and spirituals:

Work songs
and response and were sung rhythmically in time with the work.
Spirituals
in obvious contrast to the situation for the slaves. Modern gospel music is a direct successor of this style of
music.

The Blues - Homework Project

Research the history of the Blues, from its roots as the music of enslaved people in 19th century America
to the music of today.

Your project should include information on:

• the early history of the blues - what its were roots and why it was important to the people who
performed it.
• the instruments used in blues music and how these evolved over time.
• at
• other
• key musical features of the blues.

Your project can be presented as either a booklet or powerpoint presentation and can be hand written or on
the computer.

You should include images and/or video clips to help make your project more engaging.

This project will be your homework task for this project so you should use your homework slot in several
weeks to complete it. You should spend between one and two hours on this project.

Tips
• Watch and listen to examples of blues songs on Youtube. This will be the best insight into the genre
• Look at several sources of information (not just Wikipedia).
• Re-write text in your own words - don’t copy and paste. (It is obvious when you haven’t written something
yourself).
• Give as much musical detail as possible. Remember to talk about the musical elements and use musical
terminology.
• Make your presentation/poster look good - with clear information.
The 12 Bar Blues 18

The 12-bar blues is the most common structure found in blues music. In this music you have a repeated
sequence of 12 bars.

There are only three chords in the 12-bar blues and all of them are major. The three chords are I IV and V.
We use roman numerals to identify chords so that we can easily use the same sequence in a different key.

In C major C major scale and identify the

I II III IV V VI VII
C D E F G A B

You can then work out the notes of the chord using the semitone counting method.
In C major the chords are:

Root Third Fifth

I C E G
IV F A C
V G B D

The scale for Bb major is written below.

I II III IV V VI VII
Bb C D Eb F G A

Write out the three chords that you need for the 12 bar blues in Bb.

Root Third Fifth

I
IV
V

Extension

Work out the scales of F major and A major then work out the chords needed for the 12 bar blues in these
keys.

F major A major
Root Third Fifth Root Third Fifth
I I
IV IV
V V
Once you have your three chords you can create your twelve bar sequence. 19
The pattern is:

1 2 3 4 5 6
I I I I IV IV
7 8 9 11 12
I I V IV I I

In C major this is:

1 2 3 4 5 6
C C C C F F
7 8 9 11 12
C C G F C C

Each of the chords is a semibreve (4 beats) - which will be important when we add the bass line.
You can only use your right hand
it all the way through. Focus on making the changes between chords smooth.

Once you are able to play the chord sequence in C major try it in Bb major:

1 2 3 4 5 6
Bb Bb Bb Bb Eb Eb
7 8 9 11 12
Bb Bb F Eb Bb Bb

F major A major Eb major and B major.

The Walking Bass 20

Blues music often uses a distinctive bass line called the walking bass
guitar or the left hand on a piano.
This is what the walking bass looks like for the 12-bar blues in C major.
Work out the notes in the bracketed bars. Remember that it is the bass clef.

Look at bars 1 & 2.

This makes it fairly simple to play. You can only use your left hand to play the walking bass. Working out which

1 Thumb
2 Index Finger
3 Middle Finger
4 Ring Finger
5 Little Finger

crotchets (one beat each).

Once you are comfortable playing the bass line you can add in the chords. 21
Play the chords with your right hand and the bass line with your left hand.

one person playing the chords while the other plays the bass line - then
swap parts. Remember that the bass line is always lower than the chords.
Once you are comfortable with that try playing both parts by yourself.

You should make sure that your performance:

•
• has the correct notes and rhythm.
• is at a suitable tempo.
• has good co-ordination between the parts.
•

Then, play the chords and bass line in Bb major.

Extension

F major A major Eb major and B major.

The Blues Scale 22

harmony (chords) and the bass line

need to add a melody over the top.

To write the melody we’re going to use the blues scale

developed to have a bluesy, jazzy feel ‘blue’ notes.

The Blues Scale on C is below.

1. Work out what each of the notes are and write them underneath.

The Blues Scale on Bb is below.

1. Work out what each of the notes are and write them underneath.

to move).
Practise playing the scale slowly ascending and descending until you are comfortable.

Extension

F A Eb and B.

1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 and 8